Correctional officer sentenced to 18 months in prisonwith a 3-year suspension, for persuading a prisoner to install a “bug” in the telephone devices of the Nigritas Serres Detention Center in order to monitor the conversations of his colleagues.

The act was committed in 2017 when the accused correctional officer was the manager of the particular detention center. The Three-member Misdemeanor Court of Appeal of Thessaloniki found him guilty – with recognition of the mitigating factor of his previous cohabitation – for moral turpitude in violation of confidentiality of telephone communication and oral conversation (seriously). At first instance, the Criminal Court of Serres had punished him with 25 months in prison, suspended.

In his apology, the defendant – who is currently serving time in another prison in Northern Greece – denied the act, citing “scheme”, while he attributed the complaints against him to disciplinary investigations that were being carried out at the time against correctional officers – his colleagues.

For the same case, the prisoner was convicted as a natural perpetrator of the acts of violating the privacy of telephone communication and oral conversation (serial). The judges imposed a prison sentence of 25 months on him, as at first instance, which they converted into a fine. He did not appear at the appellate court.

The case was revealed when a “stick” with conversations between correctional officers was found in the prisoner’s possession (serving a sentence for drugs and forgery). Their complaints stated that the accused co-worker and then their manager took the action in order to keep an eye on his eventual successor.